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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25919047">Cheap Date</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverMangooo/pseuds/SilverMangooo'>SilverMangooo</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>one-take one-shots [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>LOONA (Korea Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Cashier!Chuu, Cheap Dates, Crack, Do you miss going out I kinda do, F/F, Fluff, Food, No Angst, One-Shot, Romance, This is so lame but it's HyeWon so they make it cute, What do people do on dates lol, well kinda</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 01:15:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,264</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25919047</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverMangooo/pseuds/SilverMangooo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Hyejoo didn’t have much besides ten dollars (and an infinite amount of love).</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Park Chaewon | Go Won/Son Hyejoo | Olivia Hye</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>one-take one-shots [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1713649</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>81</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Cheap Date</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>*Set in South Korea, but I used US Dollars (after some converting), SK's and Hong Kong's menu, and referred to HK prices 'cause it's easier for me that way. LOL</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was yet another night on Minecraft for the young couple. Whether either one or both of them had papers and projects due, work, or other nuances in life to deal with, they made it a routine to stay up together even if it was only for ten minutes. </p><p> </p><p>Phones were placed on a good enough angle where they can see each other on Facetime. It had been an exhausting day. Chaewon could feel her eyes on the verge of closing. “Hey, can we play some other time? I can barely keep my eyes open right now.” She felt bad for breaking their daily gaming program, but her body was taking over her mind at an alarming rate. </p><p> </p><p>One of the things she loved about Hyejoo was how understanding she was, and that night was no exception. “Of course. We can just talk until you fall asleep.” </p><p> </p><p>“Sounds good.” </p><p> </p><p>Hyejoo briefly talked about her day. Not that it was anything special, but it was better than having silence on both ends. There was no doubt that Chaewon would only mutter “yes” and “no” at most (if she tried), so she kept her question simple with “Did you eat?”, “Are you free tomorrow?”, and the classic “Do you love me?” (she'd always claim she asked that for "for fun"). </p><p> </p><p>It seemed like the half-awake girl could only take in one final question. “Chaewon-ah, one last thing…” </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah?” </p><p> </p><p>“Wanna go out tomorrow? It’s been… some time. My treat.” That gave Chaewon a mini-serotonin boost and she felt some life flow through her blood vessels again. It <em> had </em> been a long while since they last saw each other in person, and not in pixels. </p><p> </p><p>“You can just say that you miss me, you know?” She rolled her eyes. </p><p> </p><p>Hyejoo stared at the screen for some time, lips slightly parted which was often an indicator that she was thinking. In this case, thinking if she should actually say those three words. She chose not to, so that her girl could finally sleep. “Anyway, I’ll pick you up at noon. If I don’t see you, I’m gonna break your door.” There was a mischievous glint in her eyes. Before Chaewon could protest, Hyejoo ended the call. </p><p> </p><p>The next morning, Hyejoo saw Chaewon standing by the apartment entrance from far away. It wasn’t hard to spot her at all, just look for the blonde wearing bright clothing. In today’s case, she wore a bright yellow sweatshirt and denim jeans, accompanied with a baby pink beanie sitting atop her head - contrasting with Hyejoo’s white tee underneath a black blazer, khaki colored pants, and a black cap. As always. </p><p> </p><p>Once they were finally standing face-to-face, Chaewon had her arms crossed and foot tapping impatiently, as if she had been waiting for hours, when in reality, it’s only been five minutes. “You’re late.” </p><p> </p><p>Hyejoo checked her phone. <b><em>12:11 P.M.</em></b> “Good morning to you too,” she hugged the shorter girl and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. “Ready for the date of a lifetime?” Chaewon responded with an eager nod and automatically looped her arms around Hyejoo’s like always. </p><p> </p><p>Nothing was discussed, nothing was planned at all. The only thing Hyejoo thought about was her budget because with great power comes great spending, leaving her with a sad amount of $10. She thanked the heavens for fast-food chains while flipping an imaginary finger at the curse called <em>Capitalism</em>. </p><p> </p><p>Chaewon could spot a large, iconic “M” standing loud and proud from a few meters away. “Are you taking me to McDonald’s?” The answer was obvious. Honestly, she didn’t mind it at all but the taller one was worrying her brains out. The worst, most embarrassing possible scenario was screening in her head, and she titled it: <b> <em>Why We Broke Up</em></b>. Cliche? Definitely. But who would consider a cheap date “#RelationshipGoals”? </p><p> </p><p>Hyejoo struggled to make eye contact with her.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah… we can go back and reschedule if you want to, it’s okay.” To that, Chaewon held her hand even tighter and cupped Hyejoo’s sad face. </p><p> </p><p>“What are you saying? I’m happy as long as you’re around. Now let’s go!” Then she let go of her, running to the entrance. “Last one there is a sore loser!” </p><p> </p><p>They almost crashed into multiple people, but they didn’t care. It was nice to cause some ruckus once in a while. Hyejoo was unexpectedly low on energy… or that she wanted to let Chaewon feel like she was number one. Running after her was like chasing a beautiful dream, and Hyejoo didn’t mind. Not at all. </p><p> </p><p>The glass door almost broke because Chaewon was unable to slow down. On top of that, she pushed when it clearly said “PULL”. The “sore loser” stopped in her tracks and laughed at the sight. “Who’s the loser now?” </p><p> </p><p>“Hey, Hyejoo?” </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah?” </p><p> </p><p>“Shut up.” </p><p> </p><p>Hyejoo wanted to talk back, she usually wasn't one to back down and roasting people was one of her specialties. But she was left speechless. She thought to herself, “Call me whipped but how can someone look so sweet after telling me to zip my mouth?” She zoned out until a stranger behind her cleared her throat, clearly indicating that they were blocking the way. “Oh, sorry. Let’s go.” </p><p> </p><p>Before they could take two steps in, they were immediately greeted with kids running around and screeching their brains out. There was a birthday party going on on one side of the place. The couple went to take a closer look, like one does at any restaurant ever, and in front of them stood two 7-year olds, pretending to be club bouncers. “No entry. This is a VIP-only event.” He said with an attempt in lowering his voice only to crack midway through. The other kid spoke up as well, “Yeah! If you wanna come in, you gotta show us your IDs.” </p><p> </p><p>Chaewon glared at them. “Or what? What are you gonna do about it, little kid? I’m not scared of you!” Although her voice was similar to theirs, the fact that she was slightly taller and had an intimidating aura - in the eyes of people below the age of ten, anyway - made the wannabe-bouncers shiver in fear. Nevertheless, they tried to fight back… physically this time. Pushing her looming figure away was like trying to change the wind direction with your bare hands. </p><p> </p><p>Meanwhile, Hyejoo silently spectated on the side, filming the whole thing for “very important purposes”. Once she saw an adult, who she assumed was their parents, walking towards them, she quickly put her phone down and grabbed her girlfriend by the arm before anything serious such as a lawsuit could happen. </p><p> </p><p>They found an empty table for two in a lonely corner. </p><p> </p><p>Hyejoo was practically yowling, on the verge of tears and her seat. “What was that about?” </p><p> </p><p>Chaewon had the most adorable frown on her face. “They started it!” She whined. </p><p> </p><p>“What are you, five?” The taller of the two stood up to order some food. Just as she was about to go, she moonwalked back to remind Chaewon to be on her “best behavior” and to “not fight any children that breathed in her direction ever again”, and officially left. </p><p> </p><p>At the counter was her good friend, Jiwoo, who worked as a part-time cashier. She was unaware of her schedule, but it was nice to see her again because that’s what friends are for (and if she was lucky, Jiwoo could hook her up with some good stuff). “Hey, Jiwoo.” </p><p> </p><p>The cashier was glowing with that grin of hers. It was almost impossible to tell whether she was smiling because she was the sun in human form or because she was on the job. Either way, she replied with a lively “Hi, Hyejoo! I missed you! What can I get ya?” </p><p> </p><p>“A set of a McChicken Mozzarella and Crispy Chicken Thighs with the cheese sauce. Ah, plus those curly fries, one Iced Peach Sparkling Tea and a large Sprite, please.” Suddenly heat was rising all over her body after remembering what she intended to buy for Chaewon. <em> Jiwoo is definitely gonna make fun of me for this</em>. The cashier entered her orders and asked if there was anything else. </p><p> </p><p>“And a Happy Meal.” </p><p> </p><p>Jiwoo wanted to make sure she heard it right, “Did you say you wanted a Happy Meal?” Hyejoo nodded. </p><p> </p><p>“I saw you with Chaewon, you’re definitely on a date…” When she finally connected the two obvious dots, the grin on her face got even bigger. “Oh, Hyejoo, that’s so cute! You know what, this Happy Meal is on me, but don’t tell anyone.” She looked around to make sure her fellow colleagues were busy and unable to hear her. </p><p> </p><p>“Okay… I’ll get a Bulgogi Burger and I don't know, uh, a Kirby toy, I guess.” </p><p> </p><p>Jiwoo pulled Hyejoo by the shoulders and whispered a little secret, “Tell you what, you can have <em> all </em>the toys we have in stock. Including the My Little Pony ones. No one really buys them anyway. The others have been giving them away too, so I wanna follow the trend, you know? Not sure if it's legal but don’t you dare reject my offer; don’t question my motives or I’ll cause problems on purpose.” </p><p> </p><p>Now Hyejoo wasn’t sure if she heard her right, “I’m sorry, WHAT?” </p><p> </p><p>“And that’ll be $7.80!” She extended her hand out happily but Hyejoo was stunned in place. “<em>Hand. Over. The. Money.</em>” The startling deep and threatening voice made Hyejoo reach for the one-dollar bills and the deep well of coins in her pockets. It was as if she was getting robbed. Jiwoo did a little dance, clearly ecstatic about the whole encounter. “Thank you!” She handed over a wireless coaster pager that was to be placed on their table. “Someone should go to your table soon. Have a nice date!” </p><p> </p><p>Hyejoo walked back thinking she definitely owed Jiwoo big time. "Holy shit, no- I should thank <em>you.</em> Let's chill soon?" </p><p> </p><p>"Sure! Just call me." </p><p> </p><p>Chaewon occupied herself with her phone. “That took you long.” </p><p> </p><p>“Jiwoo was there. You know how wild it gets when she’s around,” she laughed nervously, hesitating to mention how a mountain of toys was about to be on their table in a few minutes. She chose not to; to simply let life do its thing. Those few minutes came sooner than expected and Chaewon was dumbfounded to say the least. Another staff placed the orders and left without a word. </p><p> </p><p>Chaewon’s eyes sparkled in amazement, reminding Hyejoo of the time before they became official, when they were playing a game with their friends and she correctly guessed that lavender was her favorite color. That day was the start of it all. </p><p> </p><p>“This is all for me?” She covered her mouth with her hands. </p><p> </p><p>“Except for the McChicken… yes.” </p><p> </p><p>“No way… oh my god, I think I wanna marry you.” </p><p> </p><p>Hyejoo simply smiled. “Let’s eat. I know you’re hungry.” While she took a huge bite out of her chicken sandwich, the other reached for the toys right away. Seeing a tiny girl rip the living hell out of plastic packaging was a fascinating sight. </p><p> </p><p>They were at peace in each other’s company. No other date could compare. </p><p> </p><p>After an hour or so, Hyejoo took her to the nearest candy store. An idea popped up in her head in the middle of the meal, and as lame as it was, she didn’t know what else to do with the remaining money in her poor pocket. She told Chaewon to wait outside “just because”. </p><p> </p><p>Hyejoo walked out with her hands behind her back. </p><p> </p><p>“What are you hiding?” Chaewon tried to take a look. </p><p> </p><p>Kneeling on the ground, Hyejoo had in her hands a packet of ring pop. “This isn’t much but I wanted to let you know that I love you.” Passersby either looked at them weird or found them adorable. Some balding old man muttered “Kids nowadays… love is dead” under his breath and Hyejoo wished she could take his walking stick, throw it as far as possible, tell her dog to fetch it, and bite it into pieces, but there were more important matters at hand. She took the ring out and slipped it on Chaewon’s ring finger. It was a perfect fit. After she stood up, they hugged each other like they had never seen each other in the past decade, with an adorably shy peck to complete the moment.</p><p> </p><p>After their little moment, Hyejoo carried her bridal style, taking her to their final destination of the day. On their way to the candy store, Hyejoo saw a claw machine arcade nearby. It looked new and it was fairly small, but with the remaining $1.94 she had, she wanted to put it into good use. </p><p> </p><p>Plus, she wanted to impress Chaewon with her claw machine skills. </p><p> </p><p>(Not that she would ever admit that). </p><p> </p><p>In the end, they left with no toys in hand. Well, almost. Only if the toy wasn’t left dangling on the edge of the machine’s opening. Hyejoo was a little mad over it, complaining about how “It was a scam” and further justified it by explaining the faulty mechanics of the machine and how the claw would be unable to hold onto anything without some form of rubber grip. Her girlfriend listened to her rant. Honestly, she wanted to tease her, maybe call her a cute nerd, but eventually chose to reassure her that she was grateful for the surprises. </p><p> </p><p>Days like this was all she could ever ask for.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>HIII. Talk to me:<br/>-twt: @hyejubit<br/>-cc: curiouscat.me/hyejuju </p><p>xoxo gossip girl</p></blockquote></div></div>
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